Chapter 69 : The Good Do Not Come (5)

Chapter 69: The Good Do Not Come (5)

"Still, he's a Royal Inspector, isn’t he! A Royal Inspector!"

"A Royal Inspector?"

Jwa Geol tilted his head.

Jin Soa shouted confidently.

"That’s right! That person over there is a Royal Inspector! He witnessed your thuggery with his own eyes, so there's no way he’ll sit back and do nothing!"

Jwa Geol’s face turned grave.

If by Royal Inspector he meant someone from the Royal Inspectorate, this wasn’t a trivial matter. A real Royal Inspector had the authority to wipe out something like the Black Land Manor in an instant.

But still!

'A Royal Inspector?'

That guy?

Jwa Geol looked at Wi Yeonho with a sour expression.

Let’s say, being extremely generous, that he could be a master. Jwa Geol had seen it with his own eyes, so he couldn’t really deny that part.

But a Royal Inspector?

Being a Royal Inspector wasn’t something an ordinary person could do.

Even among those who managed to pass the notoriously difficult civil exams, only the elite were selected into the Royal Inspectorate.

And this guy—whose face didn’t show a trace of sharpness—was supposed to be one?

Jwa Geol glared at Jin Soa with half suspicion and half disbelief.

Realizing what Jwa Geol’s gaze meant, Jin Soa shook his head fiercely.

"I-I’m not lying!"

"Even so, this is a bit…"

"Why not just ask him directly?"

"Ugh…"

Jwa Geol still looked sullenly at Wi Yeonho.

"Is it true?"

"Is what?"

"Are you a Royal Inspector?"

"Me?"

Wi Yeonho gave a baffled smile.

"Nope."

"……"

When Jwa Geol turned back with a ‘see what I mean’ look, Jin Soa stammered urgently.

"N-No! I definitely heard him say it myself! He said he was a Royal Inspector!"

As Jwa Geol’s eyes turned to Wi Yeonho again, the latter replied calmly once more.

"I’m not."

"He says he isn’t…"

"Aigo, I’m going crazy! Why are you lying?! I really did hear it!"

Wi Yeonho yawned lazily before continuing.

"Come on, does it make any sense for someone my age to be a Royal Inspector?"

"Right?"

"Seems like the kid had a dream. Let’s just be generous and overlook it."

"Tch, you really are wise."

Watching Wi Yeonho and Jwa Geol suddenly fall into sync, Jin Soa clutched his chest in frustration.

How did someone like that roll into his house and cause all this chaos?

"Urgh."

Jin Soa felt like screaming, but he wasn’t foolish enough to think that venting his irritation would do anything to help fix the situation.

"So you're saying you won't interfere with the Black Land Manor’s affairs?"

Jwa Geol’s tone turned curt again.

"Wait a second."

"Hmm?"

"I’m not the brightest, so if you rush me like that, I can’t think straight. I need to take a moment to figure out which side is right."

With that, Wi Yeonho tucked his head back under the blanket.

"…That’s certainly a unique way to think."

Jwa Geol had plenty to say, but trying to argue with Wi Yeonho now felt pointless.

'Just wait a little longer.'

Just a bit more…

Snoooore.

Jwa Geol’s eyes twitched.

His eyes met Jin Soa’s.

Jin Soa let out a groaning sigh and carefully approached Wi Yeonho, shaking him through the blanket.

"Young Hero, you can’t sleep right now. Young Hero?"

"Mmm…"

His head slowly emerged from the blanket, far more sluggishly than when it went in.

Jwa Geol felt like crying.

But what could he do? If it was unfair, he should’ve become a master.

If only he hadn’t mistaken the eccentric who once said he had promising bones for a kidnapper and cussed him out—maybe he wouldn’t be enduring this humiliation today.

"Still, how could you possibly sleep in the middle of all this?!"

Even Wi Yeonho looked slightly sheepish this time, giving an awkward smile.

"I didn’t get much sleep last night…"

"……"

Jin Soa looked up at the sky with a hollow expression.

If someone who spent all day sleeping said he didn’t get enough sleep, then others must already be crossing the River of the Dead from sleep deprivation.

"Anyway."

Wi Yeonho yawned again and began speaking.

"I gave it some thought…"

"Yes?"

"I don’t think I can give up that young man."

Wi Yeonho’s words made Jwa Geol’s face flush red.

"You’re saying you intend to interfere with the Black Land Manor’s event?"

"Whether it’s Black Land Manor or Black Mosquito Den or whatever, I don’t really care. But I thought it over—someone did give me a recommendation letter, after all. If I just let her go like this, the person who sent me will lose face…"

Wi Yeonho suddenly shuddered, as if remembering something terrible.

"Thinking of the woman who’ll come charging in saying she’ll boil me alive once she hears the full story… I don’t think I can let that young woman go. Not if I want a peaceful night’s sleep."

Jwa Geol looked at Wi Yeonho with a hardened expression.

Normally, a conversation like this wouldn’t even be necessary—but with an expert like him, he couldn’t resort to force. He had no choice but to talk it out.

"Then I’ll take it that you’ve decided to interfere in this room’s business."

"I don’t intend to interfere, though."

Just as Jwa Geol’s face twitched and he opened his mouth to retort, Wi Yeonho cut in.

"I mean… the issue here is money, right?"

Jwa Geol’s eyebrow twitched.

"In a manner of speaking."

"Then as long as the debt’s repaid, it’s fine, isn’t it? You get your money, and he doesn’t have to suffer. Everybody wins."

"Hoh?"

Jwa Geol brightened.

"Then are you saying you’ll repay the debt on his behalf?"

Wi Yeonho’s eyes widened.

"I don’t have any money."

"……."

"I’ve never even had something called ‘money’ in my life."

Jwa Geol nodded without realizing it.

Yeah, that sounded about right.

From the looks of him, he seemed like someone who couldn’t even manage to eat properly, let alone handle money.

"Then how do you intend to pay the debt?"

"I can just make some money."

If making money were that easy, who would suffer?

Jwa Geol wanted to shout You brat! at the top of his lungs, but the warning pain still throbbing from his jaw—where sensation hadn't fully returned—was far too real to ignore.

"Urgh."

As Jwa Geol shook his head in defeat, Wi Yeonho smiled faintly.

"There are many ways. I’ll figure it out and get you the money, so don’t worry and just head back for now."

"If I go back like this, I’ll be flogged to death. At the very least, give me a deadline."

"I should be able to get it to you within fifteen days."

"Really?"

"You don’t trust me?"

Jwa Geol’s eyes quivered.

Of course he didn’t!

'When have I ever met you before to believe you?'

But what could he do? The law was far, and fists were near.

Besides, the subtle movements of Wi Yeonho squirming under the blanket since earlier kept grating on Jwa Geol’s nerves.

"……I’ll trust you."

Jwa Geol lowered his head deeply.

The main reason he'd survived this long in the underworld was his knack for picking the right place to lie down.

And this—no matter how he looked at it—was not a place to lie down.

If he clumsily stretched out here, he had a strong feeling he’d spend the rest of his life eating gruel instead of meat.

"I trust that you’ll keep your word."

"Yes, yes. Without my word, I’m basically a corpse."

Jwa Geol stared at Wi Yeonho as if he couldn’t believe a word, then turned his gaze toward Jin Soa and Jin Yeran and glared.

"Since this gentleman has given his word, I’ll trust it and leave for today. But if the debt isn’t paid by the promised time, I’ll show you what bitterness truly tastes like. No excuse will be accepted. Next time, I won’t come alone."

Though directed at the siblings, Jwa Geol’s warning was clearly meant for Wi Yeonho as well.

But Wi Yeonho, whether he understood or not, was already crawling leisurely back into the room.

"I'm leaving."

As Jwa Geol turned and exited Sacred Hand Grounds, Jin Soa collapsed on the spot as if all strength had drained from him.

"Phew…"

A deep sigh escaped him.

"What on earth just happened…"

While Jin Soa was wearing a distressed look as he glanced at the clinic now in chaos from the patients dragged outside, Jin Yeran calmly urged him.

"First, escort the patients back to their rooms, and check their pulses to see if anyone was frightened."

"……We’re worrying about patients right now?"

"If not patients, then what is a physician supposed to worry about?"

"Sister! You almost got dragged off to a pleasure house just now. And you’re still talking about treating patients?"

At that moment, fire flashed in Jin Yeran’s eyes.

"And you call yourself a physician?! Have you already forgotten our late father's teaching—that no matter the circumstances, the patients must come first?"

Grumbling under his breath, Jin Soa slowly rose to his feet.

"Everyone, return to your places. Doctor Hwang, would you assist me? We need to help those who can’t walk back to their rooms."

"Understood."

With Jin Soa taking the lead and pushing patients back into the rooms, the situation quickly settled down.

Jin Yeran silently watched the scene for a moment, then turned her head toward the room Wi Yeonho had entered.

Her gaze deepened with a complicated glint.

That night.

"Are you asleep?"

"Mhm."

"……So you’re asleep."

Without hesitation, Jin Soa opened Wi Yeonho’s door and stepped inside.

"Eh?"

Jin Soa rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

"I definitely heard a response."

He rubbed his eyes and looked around the room, but there wasn’t a trace of Wi Yeonho.

"This is ghostly nonsense."

"Tch."

Wi Yeonho clicked his tongue as he looked down from the eaves at Jin Soa scanning the room.

"Just what nagging were you planning to do this time?"

Jin Soa wasn’t particularly malicious toward him, but his whining was relentless.

If he played along, tonight would be another sleepless one. Better to sleep on the eaves, even if it was a bit chilly.

The night dew was cold, but for Wi Yeonho—who had spent five years inside a cave—this air and dew felt more like a light tease.

"Alright then… time to sleep…"

Just as Wi Yeonho was about to drift off, a quiet sobbing sound reached his ears.

"Hmm…"

With a slightly surprised look, Wi Yeonho peered downward.

‘Whose room is that?’

There was no need to check. The sobbing was high-pitched—it was a young woman crying.

Feeling a slight tightness in his chest, Wi Yeonho gazed up at the sky full of stars.

"…Mother."

Listening to the barely audible sobs, Wi Yeonho let out a silent sigh.

'What a life I’ve got.'

Wherever he went, he could never rest peacefully. Since leaving the cave, the most restful place he’d experienced was a beggar’s hole. That said everything.

'Heaven really is heartless.'

To be given both laziness and a life full of misfortunes—wasn’t this just divine-level punishment?

"Urgh…"

Wi Yeonho tightly shut his eyes.

Tomorrow’s problems could be solved tomorrow. But for now, he had to sleep. If he didn’t rest properly tonight, he would collapse by tomorrow.

The sound of chirping insects in the distance, the soft sobbing, and Wi Yeonho’s faint breathing filled the night sky, where the starlight gently descended.

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